


A feeling well known

by AwkwardBlueFish



Category: Batman - Fandom, DC - Fandom, Nightwing - Fandom, Red Robin - Fandom
Genre: Angst, Gen, Hurt No Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-25
Updated: 2019-05-25
Packaged: 2020-03-17 01:32:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,170
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18955213
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AwkwardBlueFish/pseuds/AwkwardBlueFish
Summary: Tim Drake hated time travel. He hates it even more when he realises he’s still Bruce’s and Dick’s Robin in this time and they want answers. Answer on why Tim is so different. He can’t exactly say it was them, can he?





	A feeling well known

If there’s one thing Tim could say for absolute certain, is was that he hated time travel. Loathed it really. 

It had been a long day and it seems it was going to be an even longer night. At least Bruce had trusted them, trusted Tim and his story. It had been a long time since then.

Tim sighed, scrubbing a hand over his face. A headache was forming and he was exhausted but sleeping wasn’t going to help them get back home. He was tired.

“You okay?” Tim blinked, glancing up at Dick who was standing in the doorway. His hands were stuffed in his pockets and he was dressed in trackeys and a loose shirt.

Tim didn’t think he’d ever get used to it. This was a Dick with less lines on his face, this was a Dick who could still smile like it was the easiest thing in the world. This was a Dick who wanted nothing to do with Batman. This was the Dick that Tim knew when he was Robin.

“I’m fine.” Tim answered quietly. It was the dead of night and all was silent except for them.

Dick nodded before he shuffled on his feet, thinking. Tim prayed he would just leave, he couldn’t deal with a Dick who still believed they were brothers. 

It took a second but eventually Dick made up his mind. He walked over and sat on the couch carefully, winching when Cass curled up in a tighter ball, hand on Tim’s calf tightening.

“Sorry that we didn’t have enough rooms.” Dick whispered, watching Cass with a look of contemplation.

A huff left Tim’s lips and he shook his head. Cass was content on his left side, curled up into a ball. One hand gripped at the fabric she was wearing, one of Martha’s shirts Bruce had lent her, and her other hand gripped onto Tim’s calf. She knew Tim was uncomfortable, she always knew.

A snore broke the silence and Dick eyed Jason with a look of distrust. Jason huffed in his sleep and turned around, sunglasses going askew as he nuzzled his pillow. He was sprawled out on the couch across from them, blanket draped over his form and moonlight shining on the side of his cheek.

Both Jason and Damian were the only two who still hid their identities. It was too risky for them to figure out Jason’s, the death still raw and unmistakably painful for the younger Dick and Bruce. They couldn’t know of Damian’s either, it was too risky and as much as the kid grated on Tim’s nerves he wasn’t about to let him sink into non-existence.

Damian, Stephanie and Duke had all gotten an room. Duke had fallen asleep instantly, this being the first time travel experience for him. Stephanie had gone to bed soon after, sore from the bruised ribs the sorcerer has managed to give her. Damian has stayed up far later, grumbling about how his room was now a guest room. The sounds of furniture moving had stopped only two hours earlier. 

“It’s fine, really.” Tim licked his cracked lips before chuckling lightly. “It might teach Robin he can’t always get what he wants.”

Dick shifted at that, frown tugging at his lips as he gazed at the direction of the bedrooms. His hands slipped out of his pockets and settled in his lap as he turned to Tim again.

“Why is he Robin?” Dick started before chewing the inside of his cheek when Tim shook his head at the question. “I mean, why aren’t you Robin anymore?”

Tim let out a sigh and closed his eyes. Dick had been trying to get him to talk since they first got here. When he had figured out Red Robin was Tim he had sprang up with questions, trying to get Tim to talk, like how they used to. 

“You know I can’t answer that.” Tim replies quietly, saving his files. Dick sighed and moved so he was sitting on his knees and leaning against the couch head.

“I know, it’s just that you two don’t get along very well and you should if you passed the mantle down to him.” Tim’s blood ran cold and his fingers froze over the keyboards.

Dick clamped his mouth shut, eyeing him worriedly. With a small exhale of breath Tim managed to relax his muscles and begin typing again.

“It’s complicated.” He said simply, staring at the screen of the laptop. 

“It shouldn’t be.” Dick responded, voice raising above a whisper. Tim’s muscles stiffened and Cass let out a sigh, shuffling so her head was securely nestled onto his thigh. Like she was trying to protect him.

It was silent for a long time after that. Tim simply starred at the computer, hands resting on the sides of it. 

“You,” Tim could hear Dick shuffle, “I’ve yelled at you before.”

“You argue with Bruce all the time.” Tim replies simply. It wasn’t answering Dick’s question but he didn’t care.

“That’s not the same!” Dick hissed, hand coming up to hold Tim’s right one. His fingers were cold but Tim didn’t move away. 

“It was bound to happen.” He stated and Dick let out a sigh, lowering his head in defeat.

“What happens to us, Timmy?” He whispered and Tim closed his eyes, tears threatening to fall at the action. 

“I can’t-“ Tim swallowed the lump in his throat and tried again. “You’ll see later on.”

“I want to know now.” Dick admitted, thumb rubbing over Tim’s knuckles. Tim forced himself not to tremble. “I want to know what I did that made you unable to look me in the eye.”

Tim’s breath hitched and he shook his head. He blinked open his eyes, grateful when no tears fell and looked to the side, away from Dick. 

Dick let out a sigh and the couch sunk under his as he stood up. He stood there for a while but Tim refused to look at him. 

“I know the procedure to time travel is to get your memory wiped but that isn’t going to stop me from giving mini you a hug and some icecream.” Dick stated, voice low and quiet in the night.

Tim said nothing, swallowing thickly. A warm hand filled his shoulder and a kiss was pressed to his hairline. His body shook and he closed his eyes again.

“You’re always my little brother, Timmy.” Dick whispered as he pulled back, hand massaging his shoulder before he straightened up. “Make sure you get some sleep.”

When the footsteps faded Tim opened his eyes, chest tight and throat stinging. He closed his laptop and placed in on the coffee table before leaning back. 

It was going to hurt going back, back to a Dick who was so different. Back to a Dick who took everything away from him and didn’t believe him anymore.

He closed his eyes and even though it was going to hurt, he hoped he remember that ice cream and hug.


End file.
